Friday Sept. 26, local fusion-funk band Big Love Monster played Bio-Tour. The band played in front of a big, blue, sustainable bus powered with solar energy.
When asked what exactly is Bio-Tour Alan Palm, co-founder and director of strategy said, “Bio-Tour is the journey of 13 people on 2 veggie oil powered buses aiming to liven the sustainability movement.” The ultimate plan with the tour is to travel the entire east coast, working from New England then south for the colder months. The organization has already promoted their knowledge in 44 states. The website explains their mission is to “To connect art, music, creative culture and celebration to political culture in order to enliven and unite the Sustainability Movement and help build a culture of participatory democracy, as well as to explore America on a journey that delves into the big cities and small towns, the overlooked cultures and hidden landscapes, and to take a critical look at American society.” Bio-Tour got started by the two co-directors, Alan Palm and Ethan Burke. The response from inquiring people they met throughout their ventures was encouraging to them. The two had many opportunities to connect people from different cultures and a variety of lifestyles who were all excited about the idea of a traveling bus promoting a sustainable lifestyle, and were also concerned about climate change and our ultimate reliance on fossil fuels, but believed the solutions were more distant than they thought.
The band playing one of the many dates of this tour was Plymouth’s very own Big Love Monster, which is in a friendship with Common Ground. Our school’s very own environmental and social justice student organization. The band consisting of three current PSU students; Sam Demers, a senior on guitar, Phil Barber, senior on bass and sophomore Ryan Bradicich on drums. The trio has been together for two years, having the first been searching for the perfect drummer to complete the tripod. Bradicich came along last year and filled the position perfectly. BLM has played previous gigs in Plymouth, one at Hong Kong Garden in early Sept., and earlier this year at the first ever Earth Jam held by Common Ground. Members of the band played paying gigs throughout New England, in order to raise enough money to buy new equipment that they’ve set up in their attic jam room.
Even though the weather was rather groggy, the band was not. They were able to get a crowd accumulated on the green with their umbrellas and rain boots on, grooving to their good vibes and danceable rhythm. With songs such as “Sunbeams Twilight Road” and “Inky”, there was no need for an overcast. BLM was able to be heard throughout campus and echoing throughout town. If you did not hear of the band before you surely heard them on that rain Friday afternoon.